ACCRA: The Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) says its takeover of classification and valuation services will reduce the incidence of system manipulation by importers and the trading community.
According to officials of the division, the practice of importers and traders shopping among the destination inspection companies (DICs) in their bid to beat down revenue payment had, in the past, manipulated the Customs system and brought about data distortions.
The Assistant Commissioner at the Communications and Public Affairs Bureau of Customs, Mr Robert Nana Mensah, told the Daily Graphic in Accra that in the past traders and importers could go to two or more DICs to process their declarations and pre-arrival information.
That, he said, often led to over-invoicing and, in some cases, manipulated and distorted the trade data collection system of Customs, leading to huge losses of revenue.
He indicated that even when the DICs were handling the classification, valuation and risk management duties on behalf of Customs, an existing caveat still required Customs approval.
Therefore, he said, with Customs now performing those roles, it would lead to a reduction in duplication across the regulatory chain.
“We expect that traders and the business community will do the right declarations to include invoices, packing lists, country of origin of imports for submission to ensure the determination of the right classification and evaluation,” Mr Mensah said.
